topic Re: Referencing a Linux invisible file in SAS Programming

Referencing a Linux invisible file

gphunt — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 19:45:03 GMT

In Linux a file can be made "invisible" by adding a period to a filename. For example a file xx is visible whereas .xx is invisible to a GUI. My goal is to make a view that references an invisible file such as:

libname claims '/local/claimfiles/';

data claims.vw_claim_a / view=claims.vw_claim_a; /* this is the visible view */

1. set claims.invisible_claim_a; /* this is the invisible file */

...pgm code...;

run;

data view_result;

set claims.vw_claim_a;

...pgm code...

run;

In this example line "1." above, the file "invisible_claim_a" is ACTUALLY an invisible file defined as ".invisible_claim_a" with the leading period. If I just write the statement "1." above as it is, I get the error that "invisible_claim_a" does not exist. Of course this is correct because it is really named ".invisible_claim_a" (with the preceeding period). How do I get around this to point the DATA VIEW to the invisible file?

Re: Referencing a Linux invisible file

Kurt_Bremser — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 20:49:52 GMT

A dot is not valid in SAS names, except with system option validmemname=extend and the use of a name literal.

So, with

options validmemname=extend;

this might work:

set claims.'.invisible_claim_a'n;

if the file is named

.invisible_claim_a.sas7bdat

Re: Referencing a Linux invisible file

SASKiwi — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 00:36:05 GMT

This also might work:

data want;
  set '/local/claimfiles/.invisible_claim_a';
run;

Re: Referencing a Linux invisible file

Tom — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 01:16:58 GMT

It won't work. Even with VALIDMEMNAME=EXTEND set you cannot have a period in a member name.

Re: Referencing a Linux invisible file

gphunt — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 01:19:23 GMT

This still resulting in an error "is not a valid SAS member name". When I look at the SAS documentation for OPTIONS VALIDMEMNAME=EXTEND, one of the rules is that the name cannot begin with a ".";

Re: Referencing a Linux invisible file

gphunt — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 01:22:32 GMT

Thanks, that's what I just found out. So is there no way to make a Linux "invisible" file accessible by SAS?

Re: Referencing a Linux invisible file

SASKiwi — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 03:04:47 GMT

SAS would be able to read in invisible data files using INFILE and INPUT. The restriction only applies to SAS files like datasets.